Instituto Superior "Josefina Contte"

English Language II

a) Write the correct form of the verbs in brackets to complete the conditional
sentences in this article. Use modal verbs if you think they are appropriate.

No pain, no gain?

It’s January 1st. you are on the bathroom scales. If you (1) ………hadn't
eaten……….(eat) that last piece of Christmas pud, perhaps you wouldn’t have put on
that extra kilo. Never mind, you can lose it and get fit at the gym!

Or is it the right thing to do? If you’re unfit, you (2)……could stand………. (stand) a
huge chance of injuring yourself in the gym on the squash court. You must take care
before launching yourself into a vigorous exercise routine: if you don’t treat your
body with respect, it (3)……won't function ……… (not/function) as you want it to.
The knee, in particular, can cause untold problems. We (4) ………don't have………..
(not/have) problems with our knees if we still (5) ………walk………..(walk) on all
fours, but they’re not up to a vertical pounding on the treadmill for an hour a day. All
of our joints can cause problems; if you (6) ………want…….. (want) to play football
safely, make sure you wear the right boots to protect your ankles. Decent coaching
(7) ………is………. (be) essential if you’re going to take up a racket sport: something as
simple as a wrong-size grip can cause tennis elbow.

Many sports injuries are caused by insufficient warm-ups. If everyone spent a few
minutes stretching their muscles before exercising, they (8) ……could
experience……….(experience) much less pain during exercise itself. But people can
be stubborn about pain when exercising. The phrase “no pain, no gain” is rubbish.
Should you feel pain when you’re exercising, you (9) ……must stop……. (stop) at
once!

Sport has so many other hazards, though. Golf, you would think, is relatively
harmless. Not so for Anthony Phua, a Malaysian golfer who was killed by getting in
the way of his partner’s swing. Now, if he hadn’t taken up that particular form of
exercise in the first place, it (10) ………wouldn't had happened……… (happen.)

What you can do if you (11) ……don't want…….. (not/want) to risk sport, but you
still want to lose weight? Well, it’s not all bad news for couch potatoes. If you’re
happy to lose calories steadily, just (12) ………stay……… (stay) at home: sleeping
burns 60 calories an hour, ironing 132 and cooking 190.

Just don’t eat what you cook.

 Instituto Superior "Josefina Contte"
English Language II

b) Write the meaning of these words according to the context of the previous article.
State the categories of the words (noun, verb, adjective, etc.).

1) scales. 2) groan. 3) pud. 4) unfit. 5) launch. 6) treadmill. 7) decent. 8) grip. 9)

tennis elbow. 10) hazard. 11)swing. 12)risk. 13) take up. 14)steadily.

1. Scales (plural noun): a (usually) small weighing-machine.

2. Groan (noun): a deep, long sound showing great pain or unhappiness / a
complaining noise.
3. Pud (noun): informal for pudding (a sweet and usually hot dish made with
pastry and often a fruit).
4. Unfit (adjective): not healthy because you do too little exercise.
5. Launch (verb): to jump with great force / to begin something new.
6. Treadmill (noun): an exercise machine that consists of a moving strip or two
step-like parts on which you walk without moving forward.
7. Decent (adjective): acceptable, satisfactory, or reasonable.
8. Grip (verb): to hold something tightly.
9. Tennis elbow (noun): a painful swelling near the elbow that is caused by
repeatedly twisting the hand and arm.
10. Hazard (noun): something that is dangerous and likely to cause a problem or
damage.
11. Swing (verb): to move an object or your fist in an attempt to hit something.
12. Risk (noun): the possibility that something bad or dangerous will happen.
13. Take up (phrasal verb): to begin to do something.
14. Steadily (adverb): in a gradual way, remaining at a similar rate.

c) Choose two of the words given and use them to write sentences of your own.
(Only one sentence for each word)

- Since we are in quarantine, I have managed to learn how to cook a DECENT

lunch.
- I have TAKEN UP knitting and painting this last couple of weeks.
 Instituto Superior "Josefina Contte"
English Language II

d) Ask five questions about the article and answer

1. What particular part of the body can cause problems?

The knee can cause untold problems.

2. What would be essential for a racket sport?

A decent coaching

3. What do you do to prevent injuries when you are going to exercise?

You need to Warm up first

4. Is there any way to lose weight by doing the house keeping?

Yes, in fact you can burns 60 calories by sleeping, ironing 132 and cooking 190 an
hour.

5. Should we live by the phrase "no pain, No gain"?

No that phrase is rubbish.

e) Here are some lines from songs. Each line is a conditional. Match the two halves
of the conditional sentence to make the complete line. Be careful – one of the
conditionals is incorrect. Can you identify which one?

Answer like this: 1 A, 2 B, etc.

1 If I could read your mind, love, … A would you marry me anyway

2 If I had a hammer, … B they probably will, in games

without frontiers

3 If I need love, … C we’re gonna lose it

4 If I ruled the world, … D be sure to wear some flowers in

your hair

5 If I were a carpenter, and you were a lady, … E. every day would be the first day

of spring
 Instituto Superior "Josefina Contte"
English Language II

6 If I were a rich man, … F what a tale your thoughts would

tell

7 If looks could kill, … G I hold out my hand and I touch

love

8 If you’re going to San Francisco, … H I’d hammer out reason

9 If I can’t have you, … I I wouldn’t have to work hard.

10 If we don’t try to save the love we got, … J I don’t want nobody, baby.

- 1F
- 2H
- 3G
- 4E
- 5A
- 6I
- 7B
- 8D
- 9J
- 10 C

F) Write a very short paragraph about yourself/ves starting with If I/we...

If we started working in our assignments earlier, we might have time to check our answers
and see our mistakes. However, this is not always the case since we are used to work on a
tight schedule.
There is usually another problem when it comes to assignments: we do not prioritize what
should be done right now and what can be done later on. But on top of that, there is an
undeniable quality of life in young adults: we are procrastinators!